Olympic legend Carl Lewis brings it to Jerome

Five-time Olympian Carl Lewis, once the world's fastest human, slowed down for a bit to join "Bring it to Jerome" from his office at the University of Houston, where he has been an assistant track coach for three years.

Lewis never has been afraid to speak his mind, and that was certainly the case here, as he expressed his thoughts on a variety of subjects, including his role in the professionalism of track and field, his pursuit of excellence in the sport and his brief foray into politics, as a candidate for New Jersey's state legislature.

It was the latter topic that got Lewis going, as he discussed the mess that is politics today, the challenges he faced in his home state – where opponents challenged his residency – and the "culture of mediocrity" that he believes has led to the U.S. having "a crazy person in the White House."

Lewis on President Donald Trump:

Olympic legend Carl Lewis brings it to Jerome

1of38Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis is outspoken about the current state of American politics as well as amateurism rules in track and field.Click through the gallery for more photos of Lewis through the year.sPhoto: Brett Coomer, Staff

2of38TRIALS: Carl Lewis #387 wins the final of the Men's 100m event during 1984 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 17, 1984 in Los Angeles, California . Also visible are Ron Brown #647, Emmit King #708 and Calvin Smith #711. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Photo: David Madison, Getty Images

3of38TRIALS: Carl Lewis of the Santa Monica Track Club waits on the awards stand during the 1984 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in June 1984, Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Photo: David Madison, Getty Images

4of38TRIALS: Carl Lewis of the Santa Monica Track Club is seen on the track during the 1984 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in June 1984, Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Photo: David Madison, Getty Images

5of38TRIALS: Carl Lewis of the Santa Monica Track Club reacts after winning the final of the Men's 100 meter event of the 1984 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 17, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Photo: David Madison, Getty Images

6of38TRIALS: Carl Lewis of the Santa Monica Track Club prepares to run a preliminary round of the Men's 100 meter event at the 1984 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 16, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Photo: David Madison, Getty Images

7of38TRIALS: Carl Lewis of the Santa Monica Track Club kisses the track after winning the final of the Men's 200 meter event of the 1984 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 21, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Photo: David Madison, Getty Images

8of38TRIALS: Carl Lewis of the Santa Monica Track Club prepares to run a preliminary round of the Men's 100 meter event at the 1984 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 16, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)Photo: David Madison, Getty Images

11of38US runner Carl Lewis waves to crowd from the podium after winning gold in the 100m Men's final, Los Angeles Olympic games, Aug. 8, 1984. Sam Graddy (US) won silver and Ben Johnson (Canada) bronze. Later in the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul Lewis also took gold in the same category. (Photo credit should read HOLSCHNEIDER/AFP/Getty Images)Photo: HOLSCHNEIDER, AFP/Getty Images

12of38Carl Lewis of the USA lands in the sand pit during the final of the men's Olympic long jump competition, August 6, 1984 in Los Angeles. Lewis won the gold medal with a jump of 8.54m, to go along with his three other gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, equalling the record of compatriot Jesse Owens set in Berlin in 1936. (Photo credit should read SMITH/AFP/Getty Images)Photo: SMITH, AFP/Getty Images

13of38Portrait of Carl Lewis of the USA, taken 06 August 1984 in Los Angeles, after he won the gold medal in the men's Olympic long jump competition. Lewis equaled the record of his compatriot Jesse Owens, set in Berlin in 1936, by capturing four gold medals (long jump, 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) in one Olympiad. (Photo credit should read STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)Photo: STAFF, AFP/Getty Images

14of38Carl Lewis of the USA flies through the air during the final of the men's Olympic long jump competition, 06 August 1984 in Los Angeles. Lewis won the gold medal with a jump of 8.54m, to go along with his three other gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, equalling the record of compatriot Jesse Owens set in Berlin in 1936. (Photo credit should read SMITH/AFP/Getty Images)Photo: SMITH, AFP/Getty Images

15of38Carl Lewis of the USA flies through the air during the final of the men's Olympic long jump competition, 06 August 1984 in Los Angeles. Lewis won the gold medal with a jump of 8.54m, to go along with his three other gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, equalling the record of compatriot Jesse Owens set in Berlin in 1936. (Photo credit should read SMITH/AFP/GettyImages)Photo: SMITH, AFP/Getty Images

17of38Carl Lewis is carried by his teammates after winning the 4x100 meter relay at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. Lewis won the gold and set a world record.Photo: Steve Powell, Getty Images

18of38American athlete Carl Lewis crossing the line to win the final of the Men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Olympic Games, Los Angeles, 11th August 1984. (Photo by Steve Powell/Getty Images)Photo: Steve Powell, Getty Images

20of38American athlete Carl Lewis crossing the line to win the final of the Men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Olympic Games, Los Angeles, 11th August 1984. (Photo by Steve Powell/Getty Images)Photo: Steve Powell, Getty Images

21of38American athlete Carl Lewis is carried on the shoulders of his teammates after his team won the Men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Olympic Games, Los Angeles, 11th August 1984. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)Photo: Tony Duffy, Getty Images

22of38American athlete Carl Lewis waves the Stars and Stripes after being awarded a gold medal at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Olympic Games, Los Angeles, August 1984. Lewis won four gold medals at the 1984 games. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)Photo: Tony Duffy, Getty Images

23of38LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Carl Lewis from US holds the American flag after winning the 100m Men's final in 9:99, at the Los Angeles Olympic games, 04 August 1984. Four years later, at the Seoul 1988 olympic games, Lewis also took gold in the same category. (Photo credit should read AFP/AFP/Getty Images)Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images

25of38Carl Lewis runs on the track during the Summer Olympics XXIII circa 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)Photo: Focus On Sport, Focus on Sport/Getty Images

26of38Carl Lewis of the USA raises his arms aloft as he crosses the line to anchor the USA team to victory in the 4 x 100m relay during the 1984 Olympic Games at the Colliseum Stadium on August 11, 1984 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Steve Powell / Getty Images )Photo: Steve Powell, Getty Images

27of38Carl Lewis of the USA receives the baton from team mate Calvin Smith as he anchors the USA team to victory in a new world record time of 37.83 seconds in the 4 x 100m relay during the 1984 Olympic Games at the Colliseum Stadium on August 11, 1984 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tony Duffy/ Getty Images )Photo: Tony Duffy, Getty Images

28of38Carl Lewis of the USA in action in the Long Jump final during the 1984 Olympic Games. Lewis won the gold medal with a jump of 8. 54 metres at the Colliseum Stadium on August 6, 1984 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tony Duffy / Getty Images )Photo: Tony Duffy, Getty Images

29of38LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 1984: Carl Lewis (915) of the USA Track and Field 1984 Summer Olympic team competes during 200M race in the 1984 summer Olympic games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images)Photo: Focus On Sport, Getty Images

30of38Carl Lewis #915 competes in Heat 2 of the Semifinals of the Men's 200 metres during the 1984 Summer Olympics at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 8, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)Photo: Robert Riger, Getty Images

31of38Carl Lewis of the United States is carried on the shoulders of his teammates (l-r) Calvin Smith, Sam Graddy and Ron Brown following the Gold Medal win in the Men's 4X100M Relay during the 1984 Summer Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 11, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)Photo: Robert Riger, Getty Images

32of38Carl Lewis poses for a portrait at the University of Houston track on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Houston. The former UH track star and nine time Olympic gold medalist has joined the Cougars' track and field program as an assistant coach, and will help with sprints and jumps.( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Houston Chronicle

33of38Carl Lewis poses for a portrait at the University of Houston track on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Houston. The former UH track star and nine time Olympic gold medalist has joined the Cougars' track and field program as an assistant coach, and will help with sprints and jumps.( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Houston Chronicle

34of38Carl Lewis watches a group of sprinters as they work on their starts at the University of Houston indoor track on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Houston. The former UH track star and nine time Olympic gold medalist has joined the Cougars' track and field program as an assistant coach, and will help with sprints and jumps.( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Houston Chronicle

35of38Carl Lewis works with Jermaine Fyffe on his starts during practice at the University of Houston indoor track on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Houston. The former UH track star and nine time Olympic gold medalist has joined the Cougars' track and field program as an assistant coach, and will help with sprints and jumps.( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Houston Chronicle

38of38Former University of Houston track star Carl Lewis smiles while answering questions during a news conference, as the former Olympian is introduced as a volunteer assistant coach for the UH track team Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, in Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle )Photo: Houston Chronicle

"Everyone said 'I don't care how stupid he is, I don't care how crazy it is, I don't care how wacky he is, I don't care how misogynistic he is, I don't care how disrespectful he is, but I think he's going to make me feel happy.' Well guess what ... you see what we have now?

"It's not about being made to happy. It's about reality and being the best that we can be."

Lewis also brought up New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whom Lewis has accused of trying to bully him out of that senate race because Lewis' opponent was a friend of Christie's.

Thanks to New Jersey's scandalous political landscape, Lewis sold his homes there and moved to Houston full-time.

"It made me find where I wanted to be," Lewis said. "There are a lot of good people (in New Jersey)."

What about Christie?

"His poll numbers are about a 200-meter sprint."

FYI: World class sprinters run the 200 in about 20 seconds.

Lewis is tied for second on the list of gold medals won by an individual at the Summer Games behind swimmer Michael Phelps.

Lewis talked about his battles with Olympic officials over professionalism, and tells a story of the USOC telling him that his getting paid to be a syndicated columnist by newspapers around the world, including the Houston Chronicle, was in violation of the Olympic amateurism rules.

Lewis' accomplishments and his foresight into branding made him a worldwide star, but the sport of track and field has lost the luster it had when he became a household name.

Lewis, whose latest venture is an all-levels training program – The Perfect Method – says that track and field held onto an antiquated model, while other sports adapted to the growing sports marketing world.

"The other sports passed us by, and we'll never get it back, but the sport could still be bigger," Lewis said.

Aside from theperfectmethod.net, Lewis, a nine-time Olympic Gold Medalist, is in charge of sprints at UH.

The Cougars, who have won back-to-back indoor and outdoor conference championships, have become a national force in the sprints under head coach Leroy Burrell, who took the title of the "World's Fastest Man" from Lewis a couple of times in the early 1990s.

The Cougars are among the favorites in the 400-meter sprint relay at this weekend's NCAA championships. They were second in the event a year ago. Burrell's son Cameron finished second in the 100 last year and will again contend.

Lewis says he missed out on a lot of fun in his twenties chasing Olympic dreams and greatness. But he is now enjoying the fruit of that labor.

He wants to share his wisdom with the next generation.

"We were making things too easy for them," Lewis said. "My thing is that everybody doesn't win. Most people lose at something and they do something else or they keep trying and enjoy what they do.

Jerome grew up in downtown Acres Homes, Texas. He is a proud graduate of Mabel B. Wesley Elementary and was a basketball team captain at Waltrip High School, where he helped the Mighty Rams to a near-.500 record.

A math genius and engineering major in college, he's still working on this writing thing. He says that the three years he spent as an F.M. Black Panther probably played a more significant a role in the man he would become than the time he spent in college.